The award, which recognises high quality customer service for teams that encourage participation in sport, physical activity and play, and work with communities, is given to the highest scoring team across the UK.

Quest (UK quality standard for Sport and Leisure) assesses local authority sport and leisure teams across the UK.

The award covers all Active Communities Teams across the country which have been through a Quest 2016 Active Communities Plus or Entry Assessment. The highest performing team is based around the overall score achieved, with Oxford’s Sport & Physical Activity team achieving Excellent.

The Sports & Physical Activity team accepted the award at the Quest NBS and CIMSPA Conference 2018 on Tuesday 20 February.

The Sports & Physical Activity team provide a variety of activities and projects for residents of all ages in Oxford including Ping! Oxford, GO Active, Health Walks and various events and training with the city’s schools. As well as delivering new facilities such as Quarry Pavilion and the new court-lighting at Florence Park tennis courts.

In November 2016, the team achieved the highest possible rating of ‘Excellent’ from Quest; the first team in the country to achieve this for Active Communities.

Councillor Linda Smith, Deputy Leader, said: “We are very proud of our Sports and Physical Activity Team winning this prestigious award.

“The team organise and assist with a variety of different sports and leisure projects across Oxford, and embrace new ways to tackle health inequalities and promote healthy living — all with the goal of improving the health of Oxford residents and its communities.

“The team works tirelessly throughout the year to ensure that our services are of the best quality and this award is truly a reflection of their hard work and dedication.”

Paul Brivio, Head of Active Communities at Right Directions who run the scheme on behalf of Sport England and the Quest Board, said: “Oxford City Council’s Sport & Physical Team just gets better and better based on latest results through from Quest- the leisure industry’s only improvement and quality assurance accreditation scheme.

“These are challenging times for our sector and the public sector generally but in Oxford we see what great strategic leadership can achieved when it is underpinned by a culture of continuous improvement; driven by a team of dedicated and highly skilled people and focused on the needs and requirements of local stakeholders and above all local residents and customers.

“Oxford City Council are a great, really excellent organisation to work with – a model of best practice in many ways”

The Original Article can be found here:

https://www.oxford.gov.uk/news/article/691/sport_and_physical_activity_team_achieves_highest_performing_active_communities_team_from_sport_england

For more information about the Sport & Physical Activity team and its work, visit Sport and Physical Activity pages.